LEXINGTON, KY ― This could have been the coming-out game for Jared Curtis.
Curtis finally looked comfortable in the offense. He has always shown an affinity for the deep ball to the sideline, but against No. 12 Kentucky, he wasn't making just that play. He threw to the middle of the field more often and found receivers on short routes that gained first downs. In all, he was 27-for-36 passing for 247 yards.
But it still resulted in a 34-17 setback for Vanderbilt on Oct. 24, its fifth straight loss. The main culprit for the Commodores was their defense, which gave up 376 total yards, a 73% completion rate for quarterback Kenny Minchey and 4.7 sack-adjusted rushing yards per play.
"The way the game started, it felt like we had gotten our identity
back as a program," coach Clark Lea said. "We were possessing the ball, we were converting on third down, we forced two three-and-outs to start the game . . . And it just felt like in that second quarter, we were chasing Kentucky."
Vanderbilt (3-5, 0-5 SEC) got off to a 10-point lead, but the Wildcats (7-1, 5-1) erased that with two touchdowns in the second quarter. The Commodores never got the lead back, though they kept it within a one-score game until the fourth quarter, when Kentucky got a field goal off a strip-sack of Curtis.
The Wildcats scored on six straight drives after the two three-and-outs at the beginning, putting up four touchdowns and two field goals. Two of those drives started in Vanderbilt territory after turnovers.
"We started the game, we were playing our game, playing to our identity," linebacker Bryce Cowan said. " . . . We just let off a little bit and I think that's what really got us . . . Guys just got to keep going. Have no doubt, just maintain belief throughout the game and stuff like that."
Some of the same issues from earlier in the season reared their heads again, too. Vanderbilt committed nine penalties for 75 yards: three false starts, two personal fouls, a roughing the passer, a pass interference, an ineligible receiver downfield, and targeting.
And then there were the two backbreaking Curtis turnovers ― the strip sack, and a late interception, which was reminiscent of one Curtis had against Arkansas. Facing heavy pressure, he tried to get the ball out before getting sacked, but he threw it right to a defender. And with Vanderbilt behind, Curtis likely felt more pressure to make a play.
"There was a moment where it felt like he was pressing and he felt like he had to put the game on his shoulders," Lea said. " . . . Those are places we can improve. I'm encouraged by the progress from what I saw from Jared tonight. It looked like his cleanest game, and yet we had the two turnovers we got to address, too."
But Lea acknowledged that it shouldn't all be on Curtis. The Commodores were completely unable to run the ball, putting up just 31 sack-adjusted rushing yards. No running back even reached 10 yards on the ground, forcing Vanderbilt to do everything through the air.
"I also think that we need to run the ball," Lea said. " . . . That's going to take pressure off (Curtis) in times where the game's moving a little too fast for him."
The offense in the first half actualized one theoretical area of upside for the Commodores, but there are still far too many problems to overcome, and thus the losing streak continues.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Jared Curtis breakout game wasn't enough for Vanderbilt football vs Kentucky
